Rubin Kazan coach Valeriy Chaly took solace in his team's Europa League defeat to Liverpool – claiming "we are still better than Chelsea".
Liverpool followed up their impressive 3-1 win over the struggling Premier League champions at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 triumph in Russia on Thursday thanks to Jordon Ibe's maiden first-team goal.
Rubin are rooted to the bottom of Group B with two points from four matches, but Chaly still feels his players acquitted themselves more effectively than Jose Mourinho's misfiring stars.
"In the second half we looked more composed but we have a problem with the composition, so the young players had a chance," he said.
"For them, it's an experience. Liverpool are a good team and showed that against Chelsea - so, we are still better than Chelsea."
Chelsea's loss to Liverpool was their sixth in 11 Premier League matches this season, although Rubin are enduring similar struggles in the Russian Premier League.
Chaly's men lie 12th in the 16-team league, with 13 points having lost nine of 14 games.
